Antoni “Mr. Wonderful” Hardonk

“Mr. Wonderful” Hardonk competes in the UFC heavyweight division. A Dutch native, Hardonk was a competitive swimmer and played water polo and rugby while in school. He began kickboxing at age 15 and has fought at a K-1 level professionally for over 13 years. All of Antoni’s wins in the UFC have come by TKO or KO.

His first professional match was at age 19 at Fos Gym in Amsterdam. In 2003 and 2004, Hardonk made short trips to the U.S. to train with some of the top teachers in the sport. In 2006, he submitted a demo tape and was offered a contract by the UFC shortly thereafter. His debut came at UFC 65 in Sacramento. At the Sacramento event, he realized that he wanted to fight full-time. Throughout his career, Hardonk has been known for his impressive leg strikes which he has focused on as an offensive weapon.

Outside of training, Hardonk is actively involved in the Victor Pineda Foundation – a non-profit organization that helps children living with disabilities in the U.S. Hardonk graduated from the College of Amsterdam with a Business Management degree. Hardonk thoroughly enjoys teaching mixed martial arts and he recently opened a gym in Santa Monica, Calif. called Dynamix Martial Arts. He currently resides in Westchester, Calif.